It has been quite the week for Prince Harry. A couple of days ago, he announced that he would be moving his family back to Britain – not in years, or even months, but in a matter of a few weeks.
That story can now be seen in the context of a costs order made against him and his litigants by Mr Justice Nicklin, after the failure of their court case against Associated Newspapers.
Harry may have been attempting to seize the initiative and the headlines with his eye-catching announcement that he was once more returning to the country of his birth after his Montecito sojourn, but the price of his hubris has been revealed, and it is an exceptionally steep one.
The price of his hubris has been revealed, and it is an exceptionally steep one
By the time that Brand Sussex is setting up camp wherever they have decided to live in Britain, Harry will have shelled out his share of just over £9.5 million, along with the likes of Sir Elton John, Baroness Lawrence, Elizabeth Hurley and others. The only hope for the litigants, who accused Associated Newspapers of invading their privacy, was that the judge would allow the costs to be recovered on a ‘standard’ basis, rather than the more punitive ‘indemnity’ basis, which essentially removes an upper limit on costs. It also means that the plaintiffs have to cover their own expenses as well as those of Associated Newspapers.
